Genus/species: Nemesia hybrid.
Denomination: xe2x80x98Pengoonxe2x80x99.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Nemesia plant known botanically as Nemesia hybrid and that will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name xe2x80x98Pengoonxe2x80x99.
The new Nemesia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Netherwent, Wales. The breeding program objectives were to improve upon well-known varieties such as Nemesia denticulata xe2x80x98Confettixe2x80x99 (unpatented), Nemesia caerulea xe2x80x98Innocencexe2x80x99 (unpatented), Nemesia caerulea xe2x80x98Joan Wilderxe2x80x99 (unpatented), Nemesia caerulea xe2x80x98Woodcotexe2x80x99 (unpatented), and Nemesia caerulea xe2x80x98Elliott""sxe2x80x99 (unpatented). The goals of the breeding program were to improve on plant habit by breeding plants that were more compact, with stiff, upright flower spikes, increase the size of the flower and the length of flowering time, improve the color range by producing clear colors, and produce plants that root readily and consistently from vegetative stem cuttings.
The new Nemesia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 1996 of an unnamed and unpatented Nemesia hybrid, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed and unpatented Nemesia hybrid, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar xe2x80x98Pengoonxe2x80x99 was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a plant within the progeny from this cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Netherwent, Wales, in 1996.
xe2x80x98Pengoonxe2x80x99 is distinguishable from the parent plants by its compact, dense habit, blue-purple flowers, and dense upright flower spikes. xe2x80x98Pengoonxe2x80x99 differs from all other Nemesia known to the inventor, by its leaves that are more oval in shape and exhibit thicker tissue. Mature stems grow in square shape rather than round shape and the flowers have a faint perfume scent. The flowers exhibited by xe2x80x98Pengoonxe2x80x99 contain purple in the blue color, which is not seen in any other upright Nemesia known to the inventor. When looking at the flowers of xe2x80x98Pengoonxe2x80x99 mor blue-purple is apparent in the overall appearance of the flower because the palate in the center of the flower is red-purple whereas other varieties of blue flowered Nemesia known to the inventor have a yellow palate in the center of the flower.
xe2x80x98Pengoonxe2x80x99 was first asexually propagated by the Inventor in 1997 in a cultivated area or Netherwent, Wales using vegetative stem cuttings and has shown that the unique features of this new Nemesia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the distinguishing characteristics of xe2x80x98Pengoonxe2x80x99. In combinaton these traits set the new cultivar apart from all other existing varieties of Nemesia known to the inventor. xe2x80x98Pengoonxe2x80x99 has not been tested under all possible conditions and phenotypic differences may be observed with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, however, without any variance in genotype.
1. Nemesia xe2x80x98Pengoonxe2x80x99 exhibits a compact dense habit.
2. Nemesia xe2x80x98Pengoonxe2x80x99 exhibits blue-purple flowers with a red-purple palate in the center of each individual flower.
3. Nemesia xe2x80x98Pengoonxe2x80x99 exhibits upright fragrant flower spikes.
4. Nemesia xe2x80x98Pengoonxe2x80x99 is floriferous and exhibits large, repeat-flowering heads.
5. Nemesia xe2x80x98Pengoonxe2x80x99 is hardy to minus 5xc2x0 Centigrade.